MAYOR BLOOMBERG DISCUSSES USING 311 FOR MASS TRANSIT INFORMATION IN WEEKLY RADIO ADDRESS

The following is the text of Mayor Bloomberg’s weekly radio address as prepared for delivery on 1010 WINS News Radio for Sunday, November 8, 2009

"Good Morning. This is Mayor Mike
Bloomberg.

"Over the past eight years our
administration has made investing in mass transit - which is the lifeblood of
our city - a major priority. Not only are we funding the extension of the Number
7 line to Manhattan's Far West Side, we've also partnered with the MTA to
introduce Bus Rapid Transit along Fordham Road in the Bronx, and create the
'City Ticket' program that reduces fares for City residents riding on the MTA's
commuter railroad. We also helped negotiate the MTA's takeover of seven private
bus companies, ensuring better service with newer buses for riders in Queens,
Brooklyn, and the Bronx.

"Now the MTA and New York City government
are coming together once again, this time to give riders easier, quicker, and
better access to the travel information they need. It all starts with three
simple numbers that have already revolutionized the way New Yorkers interact
with their government. I'm talking, of course, about 311 - our citizen's hotline
for all things New York.

"We continue to work hard every day to
expand and improve 311. For example, just a few weeks ago we created a new 311
call center that provides parents of New York City school children with a direct
line to Department of Education employees who
can answer their questions and provide assistance in 179 languages.

"We're also working to harness the power of
new technologies, and to enhance 311's presence on a variety of social media and
communications platforms, including Twitter, iPhone, and Skype.

"Because 311 is a simple, easy-to-remember
number that New Yorkers are used to calling - in fact some 50,000 people dial it
each day - it has enormous potential to improve customer service for our mass
transit riders. After all, 311 already fields more than 370,000 MTA-related
calls a year. But the way it works now, 311 operators can't respond to those
calls. They can only transfer them to one of the MTA's own call centers. And if
New Yorkers decide to contact the MTA directly with a question, then there are
more than 60 different numbers listed on its website from which to
choose.

"Improving customer service is absolutely
essential to building the kind of mass transit system we all want. That's why I
was so pleased when MTA Chairman Jay Walder stopped by 311 headquarters last
week and agreed to explore a new partnership between the MTA and 311.

"During my re-election campaign, I pledged
to forge a stronger, more productive relationship between the City and the MTA.
This is absolutely essential - not just for the millions of hardworking New
Yorkers who rely on our subways, buses, bridges, and tunnels every day, but also
for the future of New York, which needs the most modern and efficient mass
transit if it's going to continue to grow and compete with the world's great
cities.

"Working together with the MTA, we can
continue building a mass transit system worthy of the greatest city in the
world.